The present invention relates to a connector production method, particularly to a connector production method for producing a connector having one or more contacts and a shell.
In addition, the present invention relates to a connector having one or more contacts and a shell.
Recently, electronic devices such as computers and mobile phones have been widely spread, and these electronic devices are normally equipped with connectors to be connected with outside devices to transmit electrical signals. As a connector of this type, desired is one which is shielded from the electromagnetic interference by means of a metal shell covering an outer periphery of an insulator that holds contacts such that the transmitted electrical signals are prevented from being affected by electromagnetic waves from outside and that a peripheral electronic device is prevented from being affected by electromagnetic noise generated from the transmitted electrical signals.
For example, JP 5623836 B discloses a connector production method in which, when a shell 1 and a plurality of contacts 2 are fixed with an insulator, the insulator is formed through resin molding while a shell carrier 4 that holds the shell 1 via shell-connecting pieces 3 and a contact carrier 6 that holds the contacts 2 via contact-connecting pieces 5 are connected to each other and are maintained in this state, as illustrated in FIG. 18. Since the shell carrier 4 and the contact carrier 6 are connected to each other, the insulator can be formed with end portions of the contacts 2 being positioned at predetermined locations within the shell 1.
However, if the shell 1 and the shell carrier 4 connected to each other via the shell-connecting pieces 3 have positional variability therebetween due to production tolerance, and similarly if the plurality of contacts 2 and the contact carrier 6 connected to each other via the contact-connecting pieces 5 have positional variability therebetween due to production tolerance, even when the shell carrier 4 is connected to the contact carrier 6, the shell 1 and the end portions of the contacts 2 disposed within the shell 1 may be misaligned with each other and may undergo the resin molding with such misalignment.
For a connector having a shell, attempts have been made to construct a connector in which a flat plate conductor such as a ground plate, a mid-plate and the like is held by an insulator and disposed inside the shell adjacent to contacts so that the shell and the flat plate conductor are brought to the ground level to enhance the shielding effect.
A connector having such structure requires a large number of components and has difficulty in integrally molding all components at a time through molding of a resin that constitutes the insulator. A bonding step using an adhesive may be added as a countermeasure, but the use of an adhesive raises the production cost, which would be a problem.